Take responsibility for debacle: Raje tells BJP top brass

Former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje said on Saturday that the responsibility for the Bharatiya Janata Party's debacle in the general elections has to be fixed from the top.

Even a day after Leader of Opposition L K Advani snubbed over 50 Members of Legislative Assembly supporting Raje, by refusing to meet them in New Delhi, she showed no signs of relenting.

Raje refused to step down as Leader of Opposition in the Rajasthan assembly on the directive of the party high command and made it clear that she alone couldn't be blamed for the party's poor performance in the state.

The BJP central leadership holds Raje responsible for the party's poor performance, both in the assembly elections last year and the Lok Sabha polls this year, in the state.

Speaking to newsmen, Raje said, "As far as the poll debacle of the party is concerned, it was not only in Rajasthan, but the setback was suffered all over the country, and the responsibility should be fixed from top to bottom in the leadership ladder."

The number of BJP Members of Parliament from Rajasthan dropped to four this year from 23 in 2004. BJP, which was ruling the state with 120 MLAs between 2004 and 2008, won only 78 seats in the 2008 assembly polls.

Raje's supporters claim to have the support of 62 of the 78 MLAs on their side.

Raje claimed that she did not receive any information from the central leadership asking her to resign, but party state unit chief Arun Chaturvedi confirmed that the central leadership had asked Raje to resign.

Meanwhile, the party's national treasurer, Ram Das Agarwal, said Raje should tender her resignation as per the instructions of the high command.

Criticising the decision to parade the MLAs before the central leadership in Delhi, Agarwal said, "It was not a well thought-out move and they will realise it later".